


Nowhere Near Africa

by SunnyD_lite



Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-19
Updated: 2011-03-19
Packaged: 2017-10-17 03:25:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/172408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnyD_lite/pseuds/SunnyD_lite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes even the slam dunk cases leave you aching.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nowhere Near Africa

**Author's Note:**

> Triggers:  Allusions to domestic violence  
> TamingtheMuse prompt: Rhinoceres

"Wouldn't this make more sense at the Aquarium?" McGee complained as they walked and walked and walked to the crime scene involving a Chief Petty Officer located near the Elephant House at the National Zoo.

"Thematic maybe, McWriter." Tony shifted his bag across his shoulder. "But only stylish murderers care about thematic settings."

"Stylish? I do not understand what a murderer's dress sense has to do with the location of their crime." Ziva glared around. "The Safari by Tel Aviv is much more open for the animals instead of sticking them in such small spaces. I do not believe this place even has the five big game animals."

"Big Game?" That question didn't stop McGee from scanning the area. "We're between the elephants and lions it doesn't get much bigger than that."

"I see no Cape Buffalos or Black Rhinoceros." Ziva said. "Those are the most deadly animals."

"The only animals we're interested today is the dead squid." Gibbs appeared from a side path. "Get to work."

"On it, Boss," chorused as the team split and began their tasks.

  
##

Tony lined up shots of the body, of the surrounding areas, and zoomed in on a lion who was yawning as it watched the activity by its cage. He did a quick check to see if there was evidence of the lion's last meal as a gift for Abby, but either this cat was a tidier eater than McGee or the evidence had been cleaned up.

Unlike the evidence on the body. "Boss, got shoe prints here in the mud and looks like particulates under the finger nails." The petty officer was clearly off duty, since her bright pink fingernails weren't regulation. Neither was the fact two of them were torn. It might be an easy case, but Tony knew better than to say so. And people laughed at what he learned from movies.

"Boss, got brass." McGee dropped a marker and picked up the shell with tweezers. It had been a while since he'd made a probie mistake for Tony to razz him on. "I don't recognize it. Ziva?"

An exotic bullet might mean an exotic weapon which would make this case a slam dunk.

Tony took a few more shots, including one of the elephants, as Ziva answered, listening to her explanation about steel casings and their ties to the former Soviet Bloc. A potential lead, if anyone in the sailor's life had ties to that part of the world. Which meant one thing.

"David, DiNozzo," Gibbs barked.

"Interviewing her C. O. and co-workers. On it, Boss," Tony filled in the order for Gibbs. It wasn't mind reading or anticipation, but moving on to the next routine step.

McGee didn't wait, and was talking on his phone. "Palmer says they're still ten minutes out. Should I scan the fingerprints?"

There was a pause and a Gibbs glare.

"I'll just scan them and send the info to your phone Tony."

Tony bit back a smile. Little Tim was definitely growing up. Plus he was the one who'd have to deal with a grumpy Gibbs. The man's coffee was probably empty. A good time to get out of dodge. "Ziva? Looks like we're headed to-" He glanced at the info on his phone and paused. "Gibbs? Do you think McGee should take this one?"

He really didn't want to visit Bethesda, even if he wasn't the one bleeding.

Unfortunately being coffee-less did not a generous Gibbs make. "DiNozzo" came the growl.

"Leaving." He held up his keys. "Come on Ziva, to the hospital we go."

#

The interviews didn't turn up anything unusual. Anita Gaillis was a nice girl, good at her job, which as far as Tony could suss out involved inventory of the unsexy type. No drugs were under her control, unlike a previous case, and unless there was a large market for bedpans, no motive.

The second to last interview, with one of her co-workers, did lead to something.

"We used to joke about how hard dating was," Petty Officer Sunder said. "It got so bad we were about to go on EHarmony together." She rubbed her lips with her thumb. "But when I tried to set up a time for us to get together for the first questionnaire, she put me off. Said it didn't matter." Another pause. "Look, I have to get back to work but, well we often did yoga together. The last time we did so she wore a long shirt instead of her tank top. I think her arm was bruised, but she wouldn't say what happened."

Tony held back a sigh and thanked the young woman for her time. He decided not to notice the fact that despite her signing onto dating sites, she hadn't even given him a look over. The mention of unidentified bruising and an off the dating market led to what he hoped was a wrong conclusion, but he'd have to head back to the Navy Yard to know for sure.

#

More research only proved what Tony had feared. A new name, Andris Ozols, had been added to the Petty Officer's lease. Immigration showed that he was a recent arrival from Latvia but had spent time in Russia.

"If it had been a love triangle I could have quoted from Out of Africa." Tony leaned back in his chair as he waiting for a DMV report on any cars owned by either of the couple. McGee was working on tracking him through his cell.

"But are they not both Latvian? What has Africa to do with this case?"

"You were the one citing big game, and not the continent, the 1985 classic movie with Meryle Streep married to Klaus Maria Brandauer but woo'd by big game hunter Robert Redford. It swept the nominations that year and walked away with seven Oscars." He turned back to his computer. "Maybe I should rent it again this weekend."

A few hours after picking up their suspect and watching him break apart in interrogation had Tony reconsidering his movie choice. A film about how humans manage to trap themselves despite wide open spaces just didn't appeal. Maybe Abby would be up for a John Hughes marathon, where there was always the hope that things would get better. Right now, he could use a little hope. 


End file.
